SUNDAY AFTERNOON LAGOS PARTIES
After spending hours navigating the narrow streets of Lagos and avoiding being flagged off for double parking, you finally find a good spot to park the car which is quite a distance from your location, but do you have a choice? You consider Uber or Bolt as an option next time but then you have to remind yourself that this is Lagos and not Ibadan that you’ve been getting quite accustomed to, the traffic induced hike in price will finish all the money in your account in one ride.
You arrive at the location and the tables are set already, of course you’re early, who arrives early for a party in this part of the world? Totally ignore the fact that it is well past 2pm and the sun is hitting hard enough already, we get it is SUN-day, but Sunny could tune it down a bit.
You kneel down to greet all the elders around and relax a bit in the room of the celebrant, the room is filled, the coolers look exciting. You head downstairs and sit, ready to be entertained. There are many things that people add to their bucket list, you know, a list of things they wish to do before they turn a certain age or perhaps before they die. Well, I recommend you add attending a party hosted by a Lagos woman before you leave the face of this earth.
The DJ is set and Lagbaja is on repeat. This event is a birthday and the celebrant is gradually ending her 60s, a friend of hers who should be around the same age doesn’t even slack as she takes center stage, dropping hot moves for the crowd, you should see her whine her waist, I recommend taking a few classes. Lagos women don’t slack in that category.
You sit for a while and the celebrant comes to your table and asks the question you’ve anticipated since you woke up in the morning knowing the latter part of your Sunday would be spent at hers, ‘Sho ti jeun?’ You gleefully respond with a no but also act surprised when they bring the jollof and fried rice to your table with chicken and salad. Your mummy requests for Semo and egusi soup, trust your host to finish that soup with different forms of obstacles in the form of meat, fish et al.
Just as the food is about to end, the drinks come in. No, they don’t come in, they pour in. When attending a Lagos party, please don’t bother about your abstinence from soda, forget it, you’d drink a lot while vibing to Wasiu Ayinde or K1 the Ultimate. The DJ is killing it, the food is top-notch, these women are showing that they definitely rocked the discos during their time and just when you think the party couldn’t get any better, the pepper soup starts rolling in. Bold of you to assume that this woman would be content with serving her guests only small chops, rice and drinks.
You are entertained by all that you witness, from the food, to the music, the dancing women and the free view to the tiny road that makes you casually wonder how two cars are able to even pass through side-by-side. It is nearing 6pm and you know you have to leave the party soon. You would be sad when you realise that the party is actually just about to begin, but you have to choose between leaving or living in the Lagos traffic and I’m sure you know which is wiser. You summon the host and announce your departure and surely she’d say just the words you expected from her,
‘’mayi ti lo oh’’. (Don’t leave yet)
She goes into the house and comes back with a polythene bag in hand, you know it is the cooler you took along as well as some additional drinks, cakes and some other things that were wrapped inside nylon which you can’t wait to check when you get home.
It has been a good day, hasn’t it? You smile because the week started off great, last week was bad but this week will be better. That’s the wonder of a Sunday afternoon spent in a Lagos party.
